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Buddhist ethics

thangka painting of Buddha Ratnasambhava

If you have studied Buddhist ethics before see if you can answer the following questions from memory:

  • Define the meaning of a 'precept'.
  • What is the difference between a precept and a rule?
  • What is the difference between lay precepts and monastic rules?
  • What is the difference between the five precepts and the ten (root) precepts?
  • What sources of authority might a Buddhist consult to help interpret the precepts?
  • Summarise your own understanding of the meaning each of the five precepts (from memory!).

The Five Precepts are the most common basic expression of ethics in Buddhism, and are recited by Buddhist lay people throughout the Buddhist world.

Other material on ethics

Past questions on AQA syllabus include:
1. Explain the meaning of the Five Moral Precepts for Buddhists
2. Examine the Five Moral Precepts and their application to daily life.